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Read real-life examples of youth who have been affected by the adult justice system.

David B.:
David grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father in Bristol, CT. Soon after his parents divorced, at age 10, he was placed under DCF guardianship as a result of a neglect case. Though initially diagnosed with and successfully treated for bipolar disorder, David was bounced between different group homes when his treatment program was judged too expensive. In group homes he was constantly abused and threatened until he ran away. Soon after, he was arrested and tried as an adult for stealing. Though he was released on probation, when he tried to remove himself from DCF services, he prompted probation violation proceedings. While awaiting a revocation hearing, David experienced extreme depression and was detained for four months without mental intervention. Overwhelmed and depressed, David took his own life while in custody.

Anthony L.:
Anthony was a mentally disabled and hearing-impaired child of 15 attending West Palm Beach junior high school, Florida. During school hours he reached into a classmate’s pocket and stole two dollars in lunch money. Unfortunately for Anthony, his school had recently begun a “zero tolerance” policy on crime. He was soon charged in adult court for strong-arm robbery, extortion, and petty theft, facing the possibility of a 30-years-to-life sentence. The prosecutor only dropped the case after a 60 Minutes crew arrived in town to investigate the situation.

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